Banana Bread Cookies

Some things in life are just too good not to share even for another minute. If I could invite all of you over to my house to finish the dozen or so banana cookies that are left I would. (And not just because there’s a risk I may devour them all myself.) The truth is this isn’t a recipe I ever intended to post on this blog. It just happened that I’ve had a bunch of bananas hanging on for dear life for well over a week now and if they didn’t become some kind of baked good soon (like, today) they were destined for the trash. I couldn’t let that happen. So this morning while still in bed I searched for a few different banana-based recipes on my iPad and landed on this one because it looked like the quickest and easiest to make. Plus I had all of the ingredients including disintegrating-before-my-eyes bananas. There was even a chance they’d be ready before Robert left for work. Done. I whipped up the batter so quickly that I didn’t have very high hopes for the outcome. I was sure something would go awry in the process, especially considering the fact that I hadn’t even had any coffee yet. (I would have had coffee if I’d remembered to press the ON button on the programmable coffee maker when I preset it last night. The sad part is this isn’t the first time this week I’ve neglected that little detail.)

Wow was I surprised when I broke off a piece of warm cookie to taste before Robert packed one up on his way out the door. They were totally happy-dance-in-the-kitchen-at-7:30-a.m. worthy. They’re soft, chewy, and everything else you could possibly want from a banana cookie. I don’t know about you, but I had never actually had a banana cookie before and yet they were everything I could’ve hoped they would be. Banana bread cookie is the best way I could think of to describe them, but they’re actually like a bread, muffin, and cookie all in one. Mind = blown. When I made them I was sure they could use some chocolate chips so I was a little bummed that we didn’t have any (don’t tell my mom I was out of chocolate chips. She may disown me for that.) However, these are absolutely perfect in their unadulterated state I’m not even sure I’d add chocolate chips next time I make them. There will definitely be a next time.

Just a word to the wise before you grab your electric mixer and get baking. The batter is much less dense than you’d expect for a cookie. That’s when I was certain my decaffeinated state had failed me. I almost grabbed the muffin tin because the batter was more pourable than scoopable. Fortunately, I just went with it and dropped them onto a baking sheet. Next thing I knew: Cookies for breakfast!

Banana Bread Cookies

Makes: About 18 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 very ripe bananas)

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Using a stand mixer, beat sugars and oil for about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, mash bananas. Add baking soda to bananas. With the mixer on low, alternate adding some of the flour mixture and some of the mashed bananas to the sugar and egg mixture until they’re all combined. Scoop dough onto Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges just start to brown.